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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. O. LOWRIE.

MECHANISM FOR CONVERTING MOTION. I No. 324,132. Patented Aug. 11, 1885.

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- H. O. LOWRIE. MECHANISM FOR CONVERTING MOTION.

Patented Aug. 11, 1885.

Fig. 3

Inventor: MW

gmpher, wan-mm". n. c.

HARVEY o. LOWRIE, or

ATENT Fries.

DENVER, OOLORADO.

MECHANISM FOR CONVERTING MOTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,132, dated August11, 1885.

Application filed January 31, 1885.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARVEY O. LowRIE, of Denver, in the county ofArapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Mechanism for Converting Motion; and 1 do hereby declarethat the following specification taken in connection with the drawingsfurnished,and forming a part of the same, is a clear, true, and completedescription of my invention.

My said improvements relate to that class of mechanism by whichreciprocating motion is converted into rotary and rotary intoreciprocating motion, and to that particular variety of such mechanismwhich involves the use of a cam-cylinder having spiral cam-grooves orflanges as the rotative element, and a reciprocating element coupledthereto. Heretofore mechanism of this class has embodied a' singlerotary cam-cylinder and a reciprocating element, and in some cases twoof such rotary elements have been so combined with areciprocatingelement that each of said rotary camcylinders were separately includedas Opera tive parts of the mechanism, and thereby enabled a reversal ofrotary motion,according to which of said rotary cam-cylinders wasemployed.

So far as I know, I am the first to organize, with a reciprocatingelement, two ca1n-cylin ders as rotary elements, which are coupledtogether by gearing to operate in harmony, and also so that said threeelements at their operative connections will operate with such abalanced distribution of forces as to obviate all twisting strains uponthe reciprocating element or parts thereof. In other words, I haveorganized two coupled spirally-flanged or grooved cylinders with areciprocating-rod and its cross-head, so that during all portions of thestroke said cross-head and rod are free from torsional strains, becausesaid cross-head in moving in either direction operates after the mannerof a wedge, whether by forcing the peripheries of said cam-cylindersaway from each other in the plane of the cross-head, or by drawing saidperipheries toward each other in said plane.

I have chosen to illustrate my invention as when applied to areciprocating steamengine; but it will be obvious that various otherapplications thereof could as well have been selected for the purposesof this specification.

After fully describing the mechanism illustrated, I will specify-indetail in the several claims hereunto annexed the features deemed novelby me.

Beferring to the two sheets of drawings, Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a sideview of my improvements as if applied to a steam-engine. Fig. 2 is aplan view of the same. Fig. 3 is asection of same on liney, Figs. land2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the spirallygrooved cylinders.Fig. 5 in two views illustrates in detail a spring guide employed insaid cylinders. Fig.6 is a modification ofsaid guide. Fig. 7 is asectional view of a portion of the cross-head. Fig. 8 is a planeprojection of a cylinder having a modified form of flange or groove.Fig. 9 is another modification of the flanges or grooves of a cylinder.

The reciprocating element A, as here shown, is the piston-rod of asteam-engine, but it is immaterial in what manner power is applied tosaid rod, or to what use said rod be put, if power is to be takentherefrom.

The shaft B, here shown, carries a beltpulley or balance-wheel, and isthe shaft from which power is to be transmitted in this case, but inother connections power would be applied thereto if rotary motion was tobe converted into reciprocatory motion. Said shaft Bis here shown as thesame on which one of the two grooved or flanged cylinders O is mounted;but if it were a separate shaft and geared to one of said cylinders, itwould in no manner affect my invention, although such direct gearing ispreferable. As the grooves on said cylinders are practicallycam-grooves, I shall for the purposes of this specification designatethem as cam-cylinders.

The cam-cylinders G and G are here shown to have a spiral groove orgrooves, a, but as only one side of said groovesis effective in anapparatus intended for motion in one direction only, it is obvious thatmere flanges or ribs could be used as the equivalent of said grooves.These cam-cylinders may, without departure from my invention, have asingle continuous spiral groove or flange, as shown in Fig. 4, or adouble bisecting groove, as in Fig. 9, and their contour can be largelyvaried without departure from m y invention-as, for instance, they canbe made as illustrated in Fig. 8, so as to conform to a crank-likemovement of the reciprocating rod, orso as to conform to a less variablemovement, as illustrated in Fig. 4-.

To be within my invention, the cam'cylinders must have, first, acontinuous spiral path and a lateral abutment or shoulder practicallythroughout its length; and, secondly, there must be two of suchcylinders practically counterparts. and coupled together, as by gears band b, so that they will always revolve harmoniously and each contributeto the proper action ol' the other. Said cylinders are also located sideby side, parallel with each other, and preferably as near together asmay be practicable. The connection between these two cylinders and thereciprocating-rod is secured by means of the cross head D on said rod,and therefore for obtaining the best results said cylinders should beplaced closely together, so that said cross-head can be of minimum widthand weight and overlie said cylinders, although said cross-head might beplaced below or at one side if both cylindcrs occupied the same verticalplane without departure from certain portions of my in vention.

'Ihe cross-head is provided with vertical studs or pins 0, one for eachgroove or flange of each cylinder, and to obviate undue friction each isprovided with a friction-roller,c, as illustrated in Fig. 7.

Although I show supporting-guides for the cross-head, it is to beunderstood that such need not be employed, if desired, without departurefrom my invention, it being obvious that the ordinary bearings requiredby any reciprocatingrod can generally be relied upon as guides, becausethe strains involved between the cylinder and cross-head are mainlylateral and balance each other, and that there is no tendency whateverto deflect the rod during its thrusting and retractile movements.

As thus far described, it will be seen that as the rod is reciprocatedthe cross-head is absolutely free from twisting or torsional strains,because the expansive or contracting forces, as the case may be, exertedby it upon said cylinders are evenly balanced laterally, and that thecrosshead has a wedge-like action, whether in separating the peripheriesof the cam-cylinders in the plane of the crosshead or in moving saidperipheries toward each other.

In the prior use of two cam-cylinders, hereinbefore referred to, saidcylinders were located side by side, but were widely separated toreceive the cross-head in the space between them, andj oi nted studs orfingers projectinglaterally from said cross-head engaged with saidcylinders in the horizontal plane occupied by their a-xes. In myorganization the canrcylinders are located closely side by side, and thecrosshead studs are parallel with each other, and engage with theirrespective cylinders in the vertical planes of their axes, and this is avaluable feature of arrangement by which the said. perfect balance offorces is secured as between the cross-head studs and the cam-cylinders.

\Vith grooves or flanges of certain contour at the ends of the cylinder,it is not necessary to employ guides for assuring the entrance of thecross-head studs into the return portion of the groove; but when suchguides are desirable, I place near each end of the cylinder aspring-guide, d, as illustrated in Fig. 5, it being arranged so that itis depressed by a cross-head stud passing over it, whereupon it rises,and thus restricts said stud to its proper course or path on thecylinder. In some cases, in lieu of said springguide, I employ aradially-sliding block, 0, backed by a spring, as illustrated in Fig. 6;but these devices may be widely varied in character, or dispensed withentirely, without departure from certain features of my invention.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to employ springguides on acam-cylinder,and I therefore only make claim thereto in combination withcertain features of my own invention, and consequently I do not limitmyself to such cam-guides of any particular form.

I have employed the term cylinders in designating these spirally-groovedelements; but I do not intend to limit myself thereby to any particularcylindrical form, because it is obvious that only the abutting surfacesor sides of the grooves or flanges are of service; and, therefore, if ashaft were provided with a spiral web or webs, whether grooved or not,the same lateral abutting-surfaces for the cross-head studs would beafforded, and such devices would constitute cam-cylinders, and,obviously, be within my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbet'oredescribed, of the pair of cam-cylinders, the gearing by which they arecoupled together and caused to rotate in harmony, the reciprocating rod,and the cross-head having parallel studs or pins which engage with thecam-grooves or flanges of said cylinders.

2. The combination of the parallel camcylindcrs coupled by gearing, thereciprocating rod, and the crosshead overlying said cylinders andprovided with parallel studs or pins, each of which continuously engageswith its cam-cylinder in the vertical plane of its axis, substantiallyas described.

3. The combination of the parallel can1- cylinders geared together, thecross-head provided with studs or pins engaging with said cylinders, andguides upon said cylinders for limiting the cross-head studs to theirproper paths, substantially as described.

HARVEY (l. LOWRIE.

Witnesses:

PHILIP F. LARNER, HOWELL llltn'rLn.

IIO

